Kennedy Center Set for Significant Renaming to Trump-Kennedy Center, According to Administration Announcement.
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The board of trustees of the iconic performing arts venue has decided to change its name the Trump-Kennedy Center, per an announcement by the White House.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced via a post that the board's decision was unanimous, attributing it to "the extraordinary job President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building."
"This promises to be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt attain new levels of grandeur and success," Leavitt added.
The planned renaming is shaping up as highly controversial, notably in Washington, D.C., where the center has been an beloved institution since its founding and dedication for President John F. Kennedy.
Recent History of the Institution
Soon after assuming the presidency, President Donald Trump dismissed all the center's incumbent trustees and appointed allies in their stead. The reconstituted board subsequently voted to name Trump the chairman.
The president later secured approximately $257 million in congressional funding to cover major renovations and associated costs at the historic venue.
Historical Roots
The concept for a Washington-based performing arts center was first proposed in the 1950s. Following the murder of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the then-under-construction venue was christened the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
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